Harry Williams

Coming off of a show is always an interesting experience. You’ve just devoted two months of your life to a show, spent every night with the people in the cast, and formed a small community around the show. Then, all of the sudden, on closing night, it’s all over. Many times I need a few days just to recover from the show, and even then, it’s weird going back to “normal life” (whatever that’s supposed to be), and having nights free again.

Now, a couple of weeks after the show, I’m pretty much caught up on mail, cleaning, etc., which I had put off for the past few months. I’ve also downloaded most of the pictures from the show, and I’ve put some more on this site in the Singing in the Rain album. Click here to view them.

During the run of the show, I had someone take a picture of Don, Kathy, and I, and I recreated the original Singing in the Rain poster using our picture. The original poster is on the right. Click on the picture above to see the finished poster that I framed and gave to our director, choreographer, and Don & Kathy. I was pretty happy with how it turned out!

It’s always sad to see a show end, especially a show like this. Singing in the Rain is a huge musical classic, and it was awesome to be a part of it. As I’ve said in earlier posts, the role of Cosmo was a challenge for me both in the acting aspects and especially the dance. Plus, I got to meet a great cast of people and have a lot of fun working with them.

A lot of people have asked me what’s next. I’m taking a break for a little while to catch up on things. But, we’re gearing up to do Forever Plaid at Peoria Players in November, so keep your eyes open for that. Roberta Koch, who has directed me in Forever Plaid 3 times over at Peoria Players is again at the helm in November. She’s bringing back the “original cast” of Jimmy LaHood, Josh Kensinger, Eric Keysor and I to reprise our roles. We first performed the show in May 2004, and it’s going to be a lot of fun to do the show again. So stay tuned for more details of that soon.

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As of yesterday, we were completely sold out for our run of Singing in the Rain! Corn Stock Theatre announced a hold over for Sunday, and as of last night, even the East section was almost sold out for the hold over. So, word is spreading about the show! If you still don’t have tickets and want to come see this great show, give the box office a call at (309) 676-2196 and reserve your tickets for our hold over on Sunday.

Last night was a fun show - during the last scene, it started raining outside, the first time that’s happened for me at a Corn Stock show. Normally, having rain at an outdoor theatre would be annoying, but what better way to end Singing in the Rain!

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The Peoria Journal Star posted their review of Singing in the Rain, and it’s a hit!  Gary Panetta had nothing but good to say about the show.  For the past couple of shows, we’ve actually gone down to the Journal Star at midnight to get a paper, and taken it back to the cast party to read it to the group.  Anyway, a few things that he said:

…the other standout is Harry Williams, who plays Cosmo Brown, a wise-cracking musician and Don Lockwood’s sidekick. Not only can Williams sing and pound the piano, but he’s also admirably light on his feet: He leaps in the air, clicks his heels, tumbles to a prone position on the stage floor, does a push up or two, pivots on one arm, bounds to his feet and cartwheels across the stage.

Put Williams together with Huerta and Laura Miller, who plays Kathy Selden, Don Lockwood’s love interest, and you have some dynamic dance numbers choreographed by Erica Franken. One moment, Huerta and Williams are spinning and twirling a bespectacled, goggle-eyed diction coach played by Bill Ciardini. The next moment, Ciardini’s head has popped through an oversized paper sign. Look again, and Miller, Huerta and Williams are wrapping up a dance extravaganza by riding a couch as it topples over, and somehow wind up in sitting position, appearing quite breathless.

…Here is a show that truly drenches everything but the spirit. Don’t miss this one.

Read the full review by clicking here.

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